NICLE

There were only nine entries with dynamic MUST among the NICLE samples, all of which express weak dynamic modality. This is illustrated with the following entries:

56) The universities and politicians have a difficult job deciding what to teach the students, and MUST therefore be prepared to receive critics, like the statement claiming that most university degrees are too theoretical (NICLE: MUST 154).

57) The students need to realize that they MUST take an active part in forming their own education (NICLE: MUST 151).

The necessity expressed in example 56 is weak. People in any position of authority should expect criticism, but receiving criticism is not a vital part of their professions. The MUST in example 57 indicates weak dynamic necessity for a similar reason: while it would probably be wise for students to actively take part in shaping their education, it is not strictly necessary for them to do so. The MUST in both examples may also be labelled as deontic modals signifying general importance, as one could argue that the speaker urges the listener to act.

The more probable interpretation, though, is that the speaker recognises the necessity of doing something.

Two of the entries on dynamic MUST were conditional:

58) The arguers claim that in order to prevent new or repeated crimes from the prisoner after release, one MUST provide a good environment for rehabilitation

41 and not just put him in a box and forget about him until the day comes when freedom is at hand (NICLE: MUST 136).

59) I would like to conclude this essay by pointing at what is, as I see it, the only way to achieve more equality. First, there MUST be a radical redistribution of wealth, effected by significant changes in world economy, as well as several other measures within each country, to ensure material equality (NICLE: MUST 22).

Example 58 also has a deontic interpretation, and one could claim that the arguers to which the speaker refers urge the listener to do their part in creating a good environment for rehabilitation; however, the likely reading seems to be dynamic, as the sentence may be paraphrased as ‘if one wishes to prevent repeat offenders, a good environment for rehabilitation will have to be ensured’. Entry 59 also appears to express weak dynamic necessity. It may be paraphrased as ‘in order to achieve equality, it is necessary that certain measures be taken’.

There were 61 entries with dynamic HAVE TO among the NICLE samples. Many of these express weak dynamic necessity, as illustrated in the following examples:

60) We HAVE TO fight and be strong if we want to earn respect (NICLE: HAVE TO 118).

61) It is hard to say, because there are so many different aspects that HAVE TO be looked at in order to come up with a good answer, if there is such a thing as a good answer (NICLE: HAVE TO 64).

62) To be able to so, you HAVE TO know what makes a child or youth behave in the way as they do (NICLE: HAVE TO 166).

All of these examples are conditional; a specific action must be taken in order to achieve something.

A handful of the entries convey strong dynamic modality:

63) We HAVE TO eat to get energy (NICLE: HAVE TO 109).

64) The man she hates the most she HAS TO face every day in her child's eyes (NICLE: HAVE TO 364).

65) Those women who choose to go through with an abortion HAVE TO live with this choice for the rest of their lives, and so it is a big and often hard decision to make (NICLE: HAVE TO 184).

42 Example 63 is self-explanatory. All living beings must eat in order to stay alive. In example 64, the speaker states that she is bound to be reminded of her child’s biological father because of the child’s genetic traits. In example 65, the speaker says one will have to live with the consequences of getting an abortion with the rest of one’s life, since the procedure is irreversible.

Some of the entries were difficult to label, as they do not seem to express a particular degree of dynamic necessity, and may perhaps better be described as expressing a vague or ‘neutral’

type of necessity:

66) There's always something you have to do or some place you HAVE TO be (NICLE: HAVE TO 67).

67) The husband is also exhausted because nowadays he also HAVE TO do his duties at home which in earlier days was done by the wife (NICLE: HAVE TO 100).

68) I believe we HAVE TO consider whether the way in which we are going are leading towards a development to the better (NICLE: HAVE TO 85).

Example 66 is too vague to interpret as expressing either weak or strong modality. Example 67 is in a similar position; the degree of necessity expressed is hard to determine, as it depends on the importance of the chores themselves. In example 68, HAVE TO is weakened by the preceding verb believe, which makes the degree of necessity unclear.

There were also entries on negated HAVE TO:

69) The stress is really in our minds, it doesn't HAVE TO affect us if we don't let it (NICLE: HAVE TO 10).

70) You can take use of the Internet whenever you HAVE TO, and you don't have to let it control your life (NICLE: HAVE TO 175).

71) You actually don't HAVE TO think at all (NICLE: HAVE TO 289).

Unlike the entries on negated dynamic MUST, all of the entries on negated dynamic HAVE TO express a lack of necessity rather than prohibition.

There was one entry on dynamic HAVE TO which appears to express the desire of the subject rather than the necessity of a notion:

43 72) It has been seen from time to time that some persons HAVE TO watch every

episode of a certain soap opera and these individuals might be very upset if they for some reason cannot watch it (NICLE: HAVE TO 301).

This example may be interpreted in two ways. One interpretation is that HAVE TO conveys people’s desire to watch a certain program, meaning that the necessity is imposed by the will of the subject rather than by external circumstances. Another interpretation could be that people in general are addicted to TV to the point of developing symptoms of withdrawal if they are prevented from watching their favourite programs, meaning that they indeed are compelled to watch TV. The first interpretation seems more likely, though.

The LOCNESS contained 23 entries with dynamic MUST. Most of the entries with MUST express weak dynamic modality. Similar findings were made in the NICLE, which contained nine entries with dynamic MUST – all of which had weak dynamic modality. The LOCNESS had 34 entries with dynamic HAVE TO. These entries primarily expressed strong dynamic modality. The NICLE had almost twice the amount of dynamic HAVE TO than the

LOCNESS: Many of these entries were weak, some of them were strong, and some of them were assigned a neutral label, as they were difficult to categorise.

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